THE SENATE Committee on Basic Education on Tuesday reviewed the Department of Education’s proposal to shift the basic education calendar from a quarterly system to a three-term structure starting School Year 2026–2027, amid concerns over declining literacy and student proficiency levels.

Senator Bam Aquino, committee chair, said the inquiry aims to determine whether the proposed reform can help address learning gaps and improve proficiency outcomes nationwide.

Aquino cited EDCOM 2’s latest report showing proficiency rates drop sharply as students advance—from 30.5% in Grade 3 to less than 1% by Grade 12. The report also found that only four out of every 1,000 senior high school graduates are considered proficient.

“For every year that these interventions are delayed, an entire generation may lose the opportunity to uplift their lives and those of their families,” Aquino said, emphasizing the urgency of reforms.

DepEd Learning Systems Bureau Assistant Secretary Jerome Buenviaje told lawmakers that the rollout is still under consultation.

“The proposal is to implement it in School Year 2026–2027, but we are still finishing the consultations. Whatever the outcome of the consultations, we will have the decision,” Buenviaje said.

He explained that under the current system, the first week of classes in June is often used for baseline assessments, health checks, and late enrollments, even though instruction is expected to start immediately. This reduces effective instructional time, which is further disrupted by weather-related suspensions.

While each quarter nominally has 50 days, up to 15 days can be lost to interruptions and non-instructional activities, causing assessments to cover competencies not fully taught.

The proposed three-term calendar aims to lengthen uninterrupted instructional time, reduce administrative pressure on teachers, and integrate structured recovery periods without changing the curriculum or total number of school days.

Under the plan, School Year 2026–2027 would be divided as follows:

Term 1: 69 days (June–September)

Term 2: 65 days (September–December)

Term 3: 67 days (January–April)

Each term would start with a five-day ‘opening block’ for assessments, reading interventions, and initial instruction. This would be followed by an instructional block with 15-day cycles, built-in assessments, and buffer days for possible class suspensions.

Buenviaje noted that even if up to 10% of classes are suspended due to weather or other disturbances, the revised structure would still secure at least 49–50 days of protected instructional time per term.

An ‘end-of-term block’ would be dedicated to non-instructional requirements, including grade computation—addressing teachers’ current lack of time for administrative tasks. Students would attend school for mediation and extended learning sessions during this period to catch up on lessons not mastered during the instructional block.